TJPW star challenging for Women’s title in MLW debut

Tokyo Joshi Pro star Shoko Nakajima is getting a title shot in her MLW debut.

MLW announced today that Nakajima will challenge Women’s Featherweight Champion Delmi Exo at Battle Riot VII in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 5. The show is taking place at The Commerce Casino & Hotel and will air live on MLW’s YouTube channel for free.

“This championship fight has been brokered between MLW and TJPW, underscoring the continued collaboration between the two organizations,” MLW hyped. “It also comes at a time when MLW’s women’s division is heating up, and Nakajima looks to make an immediate impact by capturing gold in her debut.”

Nakajima is a two-time Princess of Princess Champion for TJPW, most recently holding the title in 2022. She worked a pair of AEW matches in 2019-2020 and has made recent appearances in the United States for indie promotion Deadlock Pro, along with wrestling at Defy and GCW events in collaboration with TJPW.

Exo is on her second reign as MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion. She regained the belt last month from Janai Kai. Only Taya Valkyrie, Exo, and Kai have held the title since it was introduced in 2022 as MLW’s first-ever Women’s Championship.

There have now been two matches confirmed for the Battle Riot VII card:

• Matt Riddle defends the MLW World Heavyweight Championship in 40-wrestler Battle Riot match
• MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion Delmi Exo defends against Shoko Nakajima